The continuing eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano (which began in late March 2010 and at the time of writing, 24 April 2010, is ongoing, though thought to be subsiding) has drawn worldwide attention to this volcanic island in the mid-Atlantic Ridge. But as well as images of stranded passengers, it’s supplied the media with plenty of pictures of nature’s fireworks display.
Eyjafjallajokull has had, and continues to have, a significant negative impact on the world’s tourism industry, affecting not just airlines but also individual providers of smaller tourism services. It’s too early for statistics to have been assembled, but estimates tell the story – New York expects a loss of around $250m (New York Daily News, nydailynews.com) and for Spain the World News (article.wn.com) quotes a figure of $337m.
Volcanoes and Tourists: A Global Industry
Volcanoes attract tourists. There aren’t any consistent statistics to say how many, worldwide – after all, a visitor may be drawn to a destination purely as a volcano-watcher or may choose to visit a volcano while there; they may travel independently or book a trip with a local operator. But the sheer numbers of operators of volcano trips is enough to suggest that volcanoes are a good thing for the local economy.
And there are plenty of places where volcanoes are readily accessible. Japan’s Mount Fuji reputedly attracts over 100m visitors annually, while Yellowstone Park, Vesuvius and others are estimated to attract over 1m. The current upsurge of interest in green tourism will also give a fillip to areas of volcanic activity which have attractive scenery and strong environmental credentials.
Iceland, Tourism and Eyjafjallajokull
The tourism industry in Iceland isn’t huge, partly because of its relatively remote North Atlantic location; but it is significant. Figures from Statistics Iceland show that out of a total population of 317,000 over 8,000 are employed in the tourism sector. The country welcomed over a quarter of a million foreign visitors in 2006 and these generated a substantial income.
Because Iceland is a geologically new country, still being created by lava erupting from deep in the Earth, volcanoes provide a significant element of its tourism industry. The country’s tourist board website (visiticeland.com) draws attention to the scenic benefits of its geology (‘picturesque lava fields, craters, volcanoes, table mountains, mountains of pumice and fields of volcanic ash’) and associated geothermal activity.
When Eyjafjallajokull burst into life in March 2010, it immediately attracted a huge number of tourists and the country’s authorities investigated ways of facilitating access (icenews.is). Operators in Iceland and abroad immediately began running trips to the volcano and by 24 April the Daily Telegraph was reporting that around 100,000 people had visited the volcano since the beginning of the eruption – many local, but a significant number from abroad.
The trip is not without hazard, however: the Telegraph report highlights that two ill-prepared visitors became stranded and died of hypothermia while others have had narrow escapes among the explosive eruption and the still-hot rock. There are risks of severe local flooding associated with the melting of the ice cap within which Eyjafjallajokull is located.
After a period of bad publicity relating to its economic position, coupled with widespread coverage of the chaos caused by the eruption, things may not be looking good for Iceland. But it may turn out that the ash cloud has a silver lining if the country’s tourism operators, and those elsewhere, are able to capitalise on the coverage of the country’s natural beauty and attract visitors – and their income – to Eyjafjallajokull and its fellow volcanoes.
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